Few things strike fear in the hearts of parents like sending their child off to middle school. Parents of gifted learners fear for their child's safety--both emotional and physical--and their academic well-being. Having survived this transition, it occurred to the author that this experience would make an interesting research project and,…

Why is it that many students' performance tends to drop in the middle school years, and what can individuals do about it? This book tells the stories of educators who embody best practices in their day-to-day activities--practices that consistently lead to higher student academic achievement. The authors share what they have learned about how some…

This manual is designed to help schools make successful school reform a reality. It provides the background and perspectives necessary for a school constituency to understand the current climate of education reform in the United States and what is known about successful school reform. The manual also provides inquiry-based techniques for…

Parental involvement is an integral component in the educational environment. Student achievement and parental satisfaction requires ongoing well-planned series of activities involving parents in "home and school based activities" to assist teachers and school administrators in the accomplishment of learning objectives and goals. These…

This document presents case studies of three excellent schools (one each at the elementary school, middle school, and high school levels), and describes the methods by which these schools achieved recognition in order to offer suggestions for community members working to improve their own schools. The book is organized into six chapters. The first…